Multimedia security case system with slide lock and key

Abstract

A multimedia security case combined with a slide lock and key includes a cover attached to a base with a hinge located between them, and is moveable between an open and closed position. The cover and base both have flanged tongue half portions having apertures which, when the security case is closed, together form a flanged tongue having apertures that serve as locking bar receptacles. The slide lock slides onto the flanged tongue clamping the case shut, and, has locking bars that engage the locking bar receptacles, preventing disengagement of the lock without the key of the invention. A key is provided having key teeth that disengage the locking bars from the apertures while simultaneously causing the removal of the slide lock from the case so that it may be opened.

1 . A multimedia security case system comprising: 
 (A) a case having an open position and a closed position, the case having an internal cavity in the closed position, the internal cavity enclosing one or more retainers for multimedia systems, the case having a cover, a base, and a hinge disposed between the cover and the base enabling the case to be moved between the open position and the closed position,    (1) the cover having a cover flange half attached thereto, and the base having a base flange half attached thereto, the cover having a cover channel attached thereto and located between the cover and the cover flange half, and the base having a base channel attached thereto and located between the base and the base flange half, the cover flange half and the base flange half cooperating to form a flanged tongue having a first end and a second end when the case is in the closed position;    (2) the flanged tongue having an inner flange channel;    (3) the flanged tongue having a first slide stop thereon; and    (4) at least one of the cover flange half or the base flange half having one or more locking bar receptacles formed as apertures therethrough;    (B) a slide lock for engaging the flanged tongue of the case when the case is in the closed position by sliding the slide lock onto the flanged tongue, the slide lock having a lock cover edge, a lock base edge, and a locking bar footing disposed between the lock cover edge and the lock base edge;    (1) the lock cover edge having a lock cover edge inner surface and a lock cover edge outer surface, the lock base edge having a lock base edge inner surface and a lock base edge outer surface;    (2) the lock cover edge inner surface having a cover channel rim extending therefrom, and the lock base edge inner surface having a base channel rim extending therefrom;    (3) the cover channel rim, lock cover edge inner surface, locking bar footing, lock base edge inner surface, and base channel rim cooperating to defining a locking bar channel;    (4) at least one of the lock cover edge or the lock base edge having one or more locking bar access portals formed as apertures therethrough; and    (5) the locking bar footing having one or more locking bars located thereon within the locking bar channel, with each of the locking bars being adjacent one of the locking bar access portals, with each of the locking bars further including a pivot, a bias arm, and a barb, with each of the bias arms biasing the barb of the locking bar toward the locking bar access portal adjacent to each locking bar;    (6) the slide lock having a first end and a second end;    (7) the slide lock having a first slide stop block for engagement with the slide stop;    (8) the first end of the slide lock, when the case is in the closed position, being slidable onto the second end of the flanged tongue of the case in a first sliding direction toward the first end of the flanged tongue of the case until the first slide stop block of the slide lock engages the first slide stop of the flanged tongue, said engagement of the first slide stop and first slide stop block preventing the slide lock from sliding further in the first sliding direction, and with each of the locking bars, pivots, bias arms, and barbs of the slide lock fitting within the inner flange channel, at which point 
 (a) the lock cover edge inner surface of the slide lock firmly engages the cover flange half of the case, the cover channel rim of the slide lock firmly engages the cover channel of the case, the lock base edge inner surface of the slide lock firmly engages the base flange half of the case, and the base channel rim firmly engages the base channel of the case, and the locking bar footing prevents the lock cover edge and base cover edge of the slide lock from moving apart relative to each other, together cooperating to prevent the slide lock from being removed from the flanged tongue other than by sliding, and further preventing the case from moving to an open position other then by removal of the slide lock from the flanged tongue; and  
 (b) one or more barbs of the locking bars of the slide lock engage one or more locking bar receptacles of the case preventing the slide lock from sliding on the flanged tongue in a second sliding direction opposite the first sliding direction until each of the barbs become disengaged from the locking bar receptacles; and  
   (C) a key for removal of the slide lock from the case by disengaging each of the barbs of each of the locking bars of the slide lock from each of the locking bar receptacles of the case with which the locking bars were engaged, the key including    (1) a key channel defined by two key channel sides and a key channel base;    (2) one or more key teeth extending from the key channel sides into the key channel, the number of key teeth being at least the same number as the number of locking bars that engage the locking bar receptacles when the slide lock engages the flanged tongue by sliding onto the flanged tongue in the first sliding direction until the first slide stop block of the slide lock engages the first slide stop of the case, and wherein the key teeth pivot in a first unlocking direction from an extended first position to a less extended second position when the slide lock comes in contact with the key teeth in the key channel in the first unlocking direction, and the key teeth being biased so as to return to the extended first position when the slide lock no longer contacts the key teeth; and    (3) the key teeth being engageable with the locking bar access portals and being extendable therethrough when the slide lock engaged with the flanged tongue of the case slides through the key channel in the first unlocking direction, at which point the key teeth extending through the locking bar access portals also extend through the locking bar receptacles of the case and disengage the barbs of the locking bars from the locking bar receptacles, with the result that the slide lock is then capable of sliding along the flanged tongue in the second sliding direction relative to the case so that the slide lock may slide off of the flanged tongue of the case in the second sliding direction.    
   
   
       2 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plurality of locking bars, a plurality of locking bar receptacles, and a plurality of locking bar access portals, with the number of locking bars and locking bar access portals being the same.    
   
   
       3 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 the same number of key teeth as locking bars.    
   
   
       4 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 3  wherein: 
 the first slide stop further comprises a raised interruption in either the cover channel or the base channel at the first end of the flanged tongue, and the first slide stop block further comprises the first end of the slide lock.    
   
   
       5 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first lock outer groove extending lengthwise along the lock cover edge outer surface, and a second lock outer groove extending lengthwise along the lock base edge outer surface, with both the first lock outer groove and the second lock outer groove being aligned with the locking bar access portals located on the lock cover edge outer surface and the lock base edge outer surface; and    key channel guide ridges extending lengthwise along the key channel sides and aligned with each of the key teeth;    wherein the key channel guide ridges are capable of engaging the lock outer grooves when the locking bar engaged with the flanged tongue of the case slides through the key channel in the first unlocking direction resulting in the alignment of the key teeth with the locking bar access portals.    
   
   
       6 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 5  wherein: 
 each of the retainers for multimedia systems further comprises a disc retention hub capable of retaining a DVD, CD or video game disc.    
   
   
       7 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a second slide stop on the slide lock being engageable with a second slide stop block on the the case so as to prevent further sliding of the slide lock along the flanged tongue in the first sliding direction when the second slide stop of the slide lock and the second slide stop block of the case are engaged.    
   
   
       8 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 7  wherein: 
 the second slide stop comprises a raised interruption in the locking bar channel at the second end of the slide lock, and the second slide stop block comprises the second end of the flanged tongue.    
   
   
       9 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 1  wherein: 
 one or more locking bar receptacles are formed as apertures through the cover flange half, and one or more locking bar receptacles are formed as apertures through the base flange half; and    one or more locking bar access portals are formed as apertures through the lock cover edge, and one or more locking bar access portals are formed as apertures through the base cover edge.    
   
   
       10 . A multimedia security case system comprising: 
 (A) a case having an open position and a closed position, the case having an internal cavity in the closed position, the internal cavity enclosing one or more retainers for multimedia systems, the case having a cover, a base, and a hinge disposed between the cover and the base enabling the case to be moved between the open position and the closed position,    (1) the cover having a cover flange half attached thereto, and the base having a base flange half attached thereto, the cover having a cover channel attached thereto and located between the cover and the cover flange half, and the base having a base channel attached thereto and located between the base and the base flange half, the cover flange half and the base flange half cooperating to form a flanged tongue having a first end and a second end when the case is in the closed position;    (2) the flanged tongue having an inner flange channel;    (3) at least one of the cover flange half or the base flange half having a first slide stop thereon at the first end of the flanged tongue; and    (4) the cover flange half having one or more locking bar receptacles formed as apertures therethrough, and the base flange half having one or more locking bar receptacles formed as apertures therethrough;    (B) a slide lock, the slide lock having a first end and a second end, the slide lock being capable of engaging the flanged tongue of the case when the case is in the closed position by sliding the first end of the slide lock onto the second end of the flanged tongue and toward the first end of the flanged tongue in a first sliding direction, the slide lock further having a lock cover edge, a lock base edge, and a locking bar footing disposed between the lock cover edge and the lock base edge    (1) the lock cover edge having a lock cover edge inner surface and a lock cover edge outer surface, the lock base edge having a lock base edge inner surface and a lock base edge outer surface;    (2) the lock cover edge inner surface having a cover channel rim extending therefrom, and the lock base edge inner surface having a base channel rim extending therefrom;    (3) the cover channel rim, lock cover edge inner surface, locking bar footing, lock base edge inner surface, and base channel rim cooperating to defining a locking bar channel;    (4) the lock cover edge having one or more locking bar access portals formed as apertures therethrough; and the lock base edge having one or more locking bar access portals formed as apertures therethrough;    (5) the locking bar footing having one or more locking bars located thereon within the locking bar channel, with each locking bar being adjacent one of the locking bar access portals, and with each of the locking bars further including a pivot, a bias arm, and a barb, with each of the bias arms biasing the barb of the locking bar toward the locking bar access portal adjacent to each locking bar;    (6) the first end of the slide lock being engageable with the first lock stop so as to prevent further sliding of the slide lock along the flanged tongue in the first sliding direction when the first end of the slide lock and the first slide stop of the flanged tongue are engaged;    (7) the slide lock having a second slide stop being engageable with the second end of the flanged tongue so as to prevent further sliding of the slide lock along the flanged tongue in the first sliding direction when the second end of the flanged tongue and the second slide stop of the slide lock are engaged;    (8) the locking bars, pivots, bias arms, and barbs of the slide lock fitting within the inner flange channel;    (9) wherein, at the point at which either the first lock stop of the flanged tongue engages the first end of the slide lock when the slide lock slides along the flanged tongue of the case in the first sliding direction, or the second slide stop of the slide lock engages the second end of the flanged tongue when the slide lock slides along the flanged tongue of the case in the first sliding direction, 
 (a) the lock cover edge inner surface of the slide lock firmly engages the cover flange half of the case, the cover channel rim of the slide lock firmly engages the cover channel of the case, the lock base edge inner surface of the slide lock firmly engages the base flange half of the case, the base channel rim firmly engages the base channel of the case, and the locking bar footing prevents the lock cover edge and base cover edge of the slide lock from moving apart relative to each other, together cooperating to prevent the slide lock from being removed from the flanged tongue other than by sliding, and preventing the case from moving to an open position other than by removal of the slide lock from the flanged tongue; and  
 (b) one or more barbs of the locking bars of the slide lock engage one or more locking bar receptacles of the case preventing the slide lock from sliding on the flanged tongue in a second sliding direction opposite the first sliding direction until each of the barbs become disengaged from the locking bar receptacles; and  
   (C) a key for removal of the slide lock from the case, by disengaging each of the barbs of each of the locking bars of the slide lock from the locking bar receptacles of the case, the key including    (1) a key channel defined by two key channel sides and a key channel base;    (2) one or more key teeth extending from the key channel sides into the key channel, the number of key teeth being at least the same number as the number of locking bars that engage the locking bar receptacles when the slide lock engages the flanged tongue by sliding onto the flanged tongue in the first sliding direction until the first slide stop of the slide lock engages the first end of the flanged tongue of the case or the second slide stop of the slide lock engages the second end of the flanged tongue of the case, and    (3) the key teeth being engageable with the locking bar access portals and being extendable therethrough when the case with the locking bar engaged with the flanged tongue slides through the key channel in a first unlocking direction, at which point the key teeth extending through the locking bar access portals also extend through the locking bar receptacles of the case and disengage the barbs of the locking bars from the locking bar receptacles, enabling the slide lock to be capable of sliding on the flanged tongue in the second sliding direction relative to the case so that the slide lock may slide off of the flanged tongue of the case in the second sliding direction.    
   
   
       11 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the first slide stop further comprises a raised interruption in either the cover channel or the base channel at the first end of the flanged tongue, and the second slide stop of the slide lock comprises a raised interruption in the locking bar channel at the second end of the slide lock.    
   
   
       12 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a first lock outer groove extending lengthwise along the lock cover edge outer surface, and a second lock outer groove extending lengthwise along the lock base edge outer surface, with both the first lock outer groove and the second lock outer groove being aligned with the locking bar access portals located on the lock cover edge outer surface and the lock base edge outer surface, respectively; and    key channel guide ridges extending lengthwise along both of the key channel sides and aligned with the key teeth;    wherein, when the case with the slide lock engaged with the flanged tongue slides through the key channel in the first unlocking direction, the key channel guide ridges engage the first lock outer groove and the second lock outer groove, resulting in the alignment of the key teeth with the locking bar access portals.    
   
   
       13 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 the same number of key teeth as locking bars.    
   
   
       14 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 12  wherein: 
 the key teeth pivot in the first unlocking direction from a fully extended first position to a less extended second position when the first lock outer groove or second lock outer groove of the slide lock engage the key teeth when the case with the slide lock engaged with the flanged tongue slides through the key channel of the key in the first unlocking direction, with the key teeth being biased so as to return to the fully extended first position when the first lock outer groove or the second lock outer groove of the slide lock are no longer engaged with the key teeth.    
   
   
       15 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the first slide stop of the flanged tongue of the case engages the first end of the slide lock and the second slide stop of the slide lock engages the second end of the flanged tongue of the case at substantially the same time when the first end of the slide lock slides along the flanged tongue of the case in a first sliding direction.    
   
   
       16 . The multimedia security case system of  claim 10  wherein: 
 each of the retainers for multimedia systems further comprises a disc retention hub capable of retaining a DVD, CD, or video game disc.